Hampton's Frank Ottofaro, 77, dies Wednesday night

Ottofaro fought against the city's use of eminent domain

HAMPTON – Frank Ottofaro, a resident best known for being a thorn in the side of Hampton's City Council, died Wednesday night at Riverside Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Ottofaro, 77, was admitted to the hospital earlier in the day because of congestive heart failure, according to posts on his son's Facebook page.

"As we get older, we tend to forget those special times growing up with our parents both good and bad, it makes us who we will become in life ourselves," Frank J. Ottofaro Jr. wrote. "He was a man of principles and morals, and he would never forgive you if you did him wrong."

In the public's eye, the elder Ottofaro was known for addressing the City Council on the issue of eminent domain.

His rental home at 11 Pine Chapel Road was taken using eminent domain and the structure was demolished in 2000 so a road could be built for the Power Plant development.

"You've done me wrong," Mr. Ottofaro repeatedly told City Council members during public comment sessions he attended.

Mr. Ottofaro's case against the use of eminent domain may be used to amend state law. And it has been used as a case study.

"Regardless of whether the full factual record of the Ottofaro case proves the landowners' claims, it is at least an instructive example of the potential harm inherent in the condemnation power when political entities have broad discretion in its application and commercial development is in play," wrote Donald J. Kochan, a visiting professor at George Mason School of Law in an article for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.